Rotary ball pitching machine



Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE ROTARY BALL PITCHING MACHINE Application March 5, 1952, Serial No. 274,989

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a mechanical throwing device for balls, such as baseballs, tennis balls, and the like, or for similar objects to be hurled in a more or less uniform trajectory of a predetermined form.

Thus, one object is to provide a device of this type, which employs the potential energy of a stressed spring for throwing the object, but which will have a minimum tendency to oscillate when the energy of the spring is expended during the throwing action. I

Other objects are to eliminate the maximum number of moving parts, which would cause rattling and excessive wear.

Still other objects are to provide a device which will impart a selected spin to the ball.

The attainment of thesev objects is shown in connection with a thrower, which briefly includes a throwing arm and crank mounted on a rotatably arranged shaft, springs to give the crank and arm a half revolution, and meansfor altering the dead-center position of the crank with respect to the arm.

- In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device.

Figure 2 is a side view of the device, while Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional View of the device, taken substantially along the line 33 of Figure l, and looking in the direction of th arrows of said line.

The invention comprises a rectangular housing 553, having rear and front ends H and E2 and a base it secured on legs, or standards it for anchorage to the ground, or suitable support (not shown).

A pair of spaced parallel beams it and 58 are mounted fast on the housing ends I l and 52 near one side l3 of the housing and extend the length of the housing and carry at their respective midportions, alined bearings i9 and 2%. A shaft 25 is rotatably mounted in said bearings and projects outwardly through and perpendicularly to said side I3 for actuating a throwing arm, generally designated 22, outer of said side and secured fast on the outer end 23 of said shaft and free to revolve, as shown, in a substantially vertical plane. For rotating the shaft, at least in part, is a crank 24 secured fast on the inner end 25 of the shaft 2!, the crank and arm being about I80 degrees apart so that when the arm is in rearmost position the crank is most remote from the rear. v

For the purposes to be described below, a fulcrum piece 2% is mounted fast on the end I i below the level of the shaft 2 l; the piece 25 projects toward said crank and substantially in th vertical plane of motion of the crank pin 2's and carries a post 28 pivotally mounted at the lower end thereof by pin 0' on said piece 2% for motion of the upper end of the post toward and away from the crank. An adjustment device, generally designated 29, is provided for varying the distance between the upper end of the post and said shaft, and includes a yoke piec 3!! pivotally linked at the pin p2 to the post above the fulcrum piece, and an adjusting screw 35 passing through the rear end I l and threaded into the yoke piece. A clevis 32 is pivotally mounted, as by pin 68, on the upper end of the post and toward the crank, and about at the same height as the shaft 2|.

' Triangular whippletree members 34% and 35 are mounted in the clevis 32 and crank pin 27, respectively, so that the member 35 functions as a connecting rod head; the members are connected by a pair of tension springs 3t and 38 stretched between the respective ends of the whippletrees so that contraction of the springs will impart a half turn to the shaft.

For obtaining the remainder of the turn, a sprocket wheel 38 between the beams i i-l8 is mounted for free rotation or turning on the shaft 2|, for cooperation with a lever arm 49 fast on the shaft 2!, and adjacent the sprocket wheel. The cooperation is achieved by a boss H on said wheel and projecting therefrom parallel to the axis thereof and adapted to engage the lever ii! to cause said lever arm at to rotate with the wheel when the boss engages the arm.

Means are provided for rotating the sprocket wheel 39, which include a chain :32, a driver 33, a speed reducer it, motor 45, the latter being controlled by a switch at, and all assembled in a conventional manner.

A channel rack id for a row of balls is provided on the rear end i l, sloping to said slide 53, where there is a hook member 59 at the lower end of the rack, the hook passing around the path of the throwing arm 22, the outer extremity 5d of the hook cooperating with the lower end of the rack to retain a, ball ill in the path of the arm. The outer end of the arm is preferably adjustable and in the form of an upwardly open trough member 52 (when the arm is in the position as shown in Figure 1) having serrated sides as at 53 and secured to the lever portion 5& of the arm 22 by a pivot pin 55 and clamping screw 56 passing through arc openings 58 in the trough member. The trough member partly engages around the lever portion at the pivot 55 and screws 55.

In operation, as the sprocket wheel 39 rotates,

throwing arm about a half revolution to the po-- sition shown in dotted lines in Fig-ureB, and the ball is thrown by this action.

I have found that by use ofa pairtof springs to supply the energy, the whole device-does not oscillate to the sameextent as when a single stronger spring is used. The oscillation is also much less pronounced, if not completely elimi nated, by the use of members 28, 28 and 30, which not only serve this useful purpose;v but. are used toalter' the positionof dead: center by the provision. of holes 59 inthepost for the clevis pin '60:. Adiustment'for dead. center as well as speed control maybe made by use-of the screw '31, since there is vertical as well as lateral movement of the upper part of the" post, Raising or lowering the: whippletree 34' by means of pin" Sit changes the dead center, which, in turn, retards or ad- Vances the tripping point. The moment of inertia oif th'e postmay bechanged by "changing the positions of the posts, whereby the holes -51 and 62 therein are made-pivoted points, instead of those pivot points 63 and 54. As indicated in the drawing, there is no collar on" the shank of adjustment pin 3|, so that immediatelyafterthe mechanism trips, the reaction force of the spring against the postis not adversely transmitted to the-wall H. The reaction forces ar tempered by partial rotation of the post 28, whose moment of inertia may be altered as described.

Not only can the adjustment of the throwing arm at 5c provid a vertical adjustment for throwing the'ball, but'whcn employed in conjunction with'the'shift of the dead center on the crank, it causes wide variations in the spin of the ball without damaging sudden impact on the latter;

While I' have; for purposes of illustration, shown my invention with the throwing arm moving in a vertical plane, it is to be noted that it maybe greatly tilted, without lossof its advantages of adjustability, theonly real requirement of position being that'the trough 52 engages the hall long enough to produce the desired result.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent'of the United States, is:

1. A throwing arm for a ball throwing device comprising a lever member and a trough'member pivotally mounted on one end of the lever member" and partly engaging" therearound, said trough member being provided with are shaped openings near the pivoted point, a screw clamp passing'through said openings and lever. member to hold the lever member and trough member ina fixed relationship, said trough. member being. provided with serrations on the upper edges of the walls thereof.

2. In a throwing device, a mount, a shaft rotatably mounted on the mount and. having a throwing arm atone end anda crank with crank pin on the other end, a post pivotally. mounted at the lower end! thereof on said mount for motion about an axis parallel to said shaft, an adjustment device for varying the distance between. the

4 upper end of the post and said shaft, and including a yoke piece pivotally linked to the post, and an adjustin screw passing through the mount and threaded into the yoke piece, a clevis pivotally mounted on the upper end of the post and toward the crank, whippletree members mounted on the clevis and crank pin, respectively, a pair of tension springs stretched between th respecti'v'eiends of the 'whippletnee memhers {and attachedthereto, a wheelmounted'forfre turning on the shaft, a lever arm fast on the shaft and adjacent the wheel, a boss on said wheel and projecting therefrom parallel to the axis thereof and adapted to engage the lever to cause the lever arm'to'rotate withthe wheel when the boss engages the arm, and means for rotating said wheel.

Anthrowing, device comprising a mount, a housing having rear and front ends and a side, a pairofspaced beams mounted fast on the housing ends near the side, alined hearings on the mount, a shaft. rotatably mounted; in; said, bearirLgs, a throwing arm secured;fastontheouter end of said shaft and -a;-crank: with; crank. pin :86.- cured fast on the inner end of the-shaft, a. post pivotally mounted at the lower endtthereof-on said mount for motion of its. upper end, toward and away from the crank, and slight peripheral motion of same about the axis of the shaft; an adjustment device for holding said post imfixed selected position, a clevis pivotally mountedon the upper end of the post and toward: the crank, whippletrees mounted on the'clevis and crank pin, respectively, a pair of springs between; the respective ends of the said whippletrees, and means for turning the shaft to stretch the springs.

4, In a throwing device, a mount,:a.- shaft rotatably mounted on the'mount and having a throwing arm fast on one end and a crank-with a crank pin on the other end, the shaft and arm being free to rotate a complete revolution, apost pivotally mounted on an axis parallel to that of the shaft at the lower end thereof and on said mount for motion of theupper end portionthereof toward and away from and peripherallyab'out the axis of the shaft, an adjustment device for holding the post in a selected fixed position, and a tension spring stretched between said upper end portion and said crank and having the respective ends of the spring attached to the crank and said upper portion.

5. In a throwing device, a mount, a shaftrrotatably mounted on the mount and having a throwing arm fast on one end and a crank pin fast on the other end, a post pivotally mounted at the' lower end thereof on'said mount for motion of the upper end portion thereof toward and away from, and peripherally about, the axis of the shaft, an adjustment devicefor holding the post in'a selected fixed position, a tension spring stretched between saidupper end portionv and said crank and having its respective ends attached thereto, a wheel mounted for free. turning on the shaft, a radially projecting member fast on the shaft and adjacentthe wheel, a projection onsaid wheel and projecting therefrom intothe path of saidmember to engage the same to cause said member and shaft to rotate the wheelwhen the projection engages the member, and means to rotate the wheel.

6. In a throwing device, .a mount, a shaftrotatably mounted on the mount and having a throwing arm fast on one end and a crank with a crank pin fast on the other end, the shaft and arm being free to rotate a plurality of revolutions,

a post pivotally mounted on an axis parallel to that of the shaft at the lower end thereof on said mount, an adjustment device for holding the post in a selected position, a tension spring stretched between the upper end portion of the post and said crank pin and having its respective ends attached thereto, a wheel mounted for free turning on the shaft, a lever arm fast on the shaft and adjacent the wheel, a stud on said wheel and projecting therefrom parallel to the axis thereof and across the path of said lever arm to engage the lever to cause the lever arm to rotate with the wheel, when the stud engages the arm, and means to rotate the wheel.

7. In a ball throwing device, a shaft and a radial arm thereon mounted for a plurality of revolutions, the arm being constrained to move in a substantially vertical plane, said arm including a trough portion at the outer end thereof and provided with serrations at the upper edge thereof, an inclined ball channel rack having the lower end portion thereof about on a level with the shaft and projecting nearly to the path of the trough, the rack being free from structure to allow a ball to roll down the rack and into the path of the trough, retaining means out of the path of the trough cooperating with the end of the rack for holding a ball in said path and against an end of the rack, said trough being upwardly open as it passes the end of the rack.

JOHN J. CALLEO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 886,669 Winans May 5, 1908 1,185,917 Kurth June 6, 1916 1,194,093 Stroup Aug. 8, 1916 1,204,645 Boardman Nov. 14, 1916 1,475,713 Napier Nov. 27, 1923 1,771,865 Spangler July 29, 1930 1,821,755 Jeter Sept. 1, 1931 1,867,578 Lorimer July 19, 1932 1,880,326 McCrea Oct. 4, 1932 2,121,763 McCrea June 21, 1938 

